26. Mature Weight EPD (MW), expressed in pounds, is a predictor of the differ- ence in mature weight of daughters of a sire compared to the daughters of other sires. 27. Functional Longevity EPD (FL), expressed in number of calves, is a predic- tor of the number of calves a sire’s daughters are predicted to produce by 6 years of age compared to that of other sires’ daughters. A higher EPD is the more favorable direction indicating more calves produced on average. 28. Docility (Doc) EPD, is expressed as a difference in yearling cattle temper- ament, with a higher value indicating more favorable docility. It predicts the average difference of progeny from a sire in comparison with another sire’s calves. In herds where temperament problems are not an issue, this expected difference would not be realized. 29. Claw Set EPD (Claw), is expressed in units of claw-set score, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire will produce progeny with more ideal claw set. The ideal claw set is toes that are symmetrical, even and appropriately spaced. 30. Foot Angle EPD (Angle), is expressed in units of foot-angle score, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire will produce progeny with more ideal foot angle. The ideal is a 45-degree angle at the pastern joint with appropriate toe length and heel depth. 31. Pulmonary arterial pressure EPD (PAP), is expressed in millimeters of Mercury (mmHg), with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire should produce progeny with a lower PAP score. PAP score is an indicator of susceptibility to high altitude disease commonly experienced at elevations greater than 5,500 feet. Selection for this trait aims to improve the genetic potential for a sire’s progeny to have lower PAP scores thus a lower chance of contracting high altitude disease increasing the environmental adaptability of cattle living in mountain areas. 32. Hair Shed EPD (HS), is expressed in units of hair shed score, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire should produce progeny who shed their winter coat earlier in the spring. Selection for this trait should im- prove the genetic potential for a sire’s progeny to shed off earlier increasing the environmental adaptability of cattle living in heat stressed areas and producers grazing endophyte-infected (hot) fescue. 33. Carcass Weight EPD (CW), expressed in pounds is a predictor of the differences in hot carcass weight of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires. 34. Marbling EPD (Marb), expressed as a fraction of the difference in USDA marbling score of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires. 35. Ribeye Area EPD (REA), expressed in square inches, is a predictor of the difference in ribeye area of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires. 36. Fat Thickness EPD (Fat), expressed in inches, is a predictor of the differenc- es in external fat thickness at the 12th rib (as measured between the 12th and 13th ribs) of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires. Angus Indexes 37. Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M), expressed in dollars per head, predicts profitability differences from conception to weaning with the underlying breeding objective assuming individuals retain their own replacement fe- males within herd and sell the rest of the cull female and all male progeny as feeder calves. The model assumes commercial producers will replace 25% of their breeding females in the first generation and 20% of their breeding fe - males in each subsequent generation. Traits included are as follows: calving ease direct, calving ease maternal, weaning weight, milk, heifer pregnancy, docility, mature cow weight, claw set and foot angle. 38. Beef Value ($B), a terminal index, expressed in dollars per carcass, to predict profitability differences in progeny due to genetics for postweaning and carcass traits. This terminal index assumes commercial producers wean all male and female progeny, retain ownership of these animals through the feedlot phase and market these animals on a carcass grid. Traits included in the index are as follows: yearling weight, dry-matter intake, marbling, carcass weight, ribeye area and fat. 39. Combined Value ($C), an index, expressed in dollars per head, which includes all traits that make up both Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) and Beef Value ($B) with the objective that commercial producers will replace 20% of their breeding females per year with replacement heifers retained
within their own herd. The remaining cull heifer and steer progeny are then assumed to be sent to the feedlot where the producers retain owner- ship of those cattle and sell them on a quality-based carcass merit grid. Simmental EPD’s Indexes 48. AVERAGE DAILY GAIN (ADG), Reported as the difference in post-wean- ing pounds gained on a daily basis. 49. Mature Weight (MW), Reported as the difference in pounds of cow body weight at six years of age and body condition score of 5. A higher value indicates a genetic tendency for heavier daughters at maturity. A lower value indicates a genetic tendency for lighter daughters at maturity. 50. Stayability (STAY), percent of daughters remaining in the cow herd at 6 years of age. 51. $GAIN ($G), Expressed as the dollar difference per head per day during the post-weaning period. $Gain is a prediction designed to identify animals that are more economically efficient in the feedlot converting feed into weight. $Gain is a combination of Dry Matter Intake (DMI) EPD and Average Daily Gain (ADG) EPD, where ADG is weighted by the value of a pound of gain, and DMI is negatively weighted by the cost of a pound of dry matter. A higher value is more favorable. 52. All-Purpose Index (API): Evaluates sires for use on the entire cow herd (bred to both Angus first-calf heifers and mature cows) with the portion of their daughters required to maintain herd size retained and the remaining heifers and steers put on feed and sold grade and yield. 53. Terminal Index (TI): Evaluates sire for use on mature Angus cows with all offspring put on feed and sold grade and yield. Charolais EPD’s & Index 54. Total Maternal EPD (MTL) A value to predict the weaning weight perfor- mance of calves from a animal’s daughters due to genetics for growth and maternal ability. 55. Terminal Sire Index (TSI) is a formal method of combing EPD’s – BW, WW, YW, REA, CW, MARB and FAT – into one single value on which to base selection decisions. TSI uses estimates of the genetic relationships between traits with an economic default value based on three year rolling USDA data. Leachman EPD’s & Indexes 40. F:G is the pedigree estimated feed to gain EPD that predicts the feedlot efficiency of the bulls offspring. A negative number means that the bull’s progeny will feed more efficiently. Example: -0.50 means that the bulls progeny will require ½ pound less feed per pound of gain. 41. Intake: is an estimate of the amount of feed that the bull’s progeny will consume over a 112 day feeding period. It is expressed in pounds. Animals with higher intake will consume more throughout their life. Animals with lower intake will consume less. 42. Teat Score (TS), expressed in units of teat size score, with a higher EPD indicating a sire will produce daughters with smaller teat size compared to that of other sires’ daughters. 43. Bag Score (BS), expressed in units of udder suspension score, with a higher EPD indicating a sire will produce daughters with tighter udder suspension compared to that of other sires’ daughters. 44. Fertility: (Cow Fertility) Predicts the number of calves that a bull’s daugh- ters will have in the first 8 years of their life. A higher number indicates the bull’s daughters will have more calves than a bull’s daughters with a lower Fertility EPD. 45. $Ranch EPD: This Leachman profit index that predicts weaning profitabil - ity based on calving ease, weaning weight, maternal milk, cow cost, and FERTILITY. Based on producing 100 calves. This EPD assumes a slide on calf prices of $10 / cwt. 46. $Feeder EPD: This number is expressed in terms of the bull’s added value to the sale price of your feeder calves. It is expressed in dollars per head. Thus when comparing a +100 bull vs. a +50 bull, we expect the first bull to sire calves worth $50 per head more at weaning (regardless of their weight). 47. $Profit™ EPD: One, simple, proven number that gives each trait a weight according to its impact on profit.
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